The Tophet of Carthage has long been the dark heart of Punic history, a place where Polybius and Livy claimed infants were sacrificed to Baal Hammon. For centuries, this interpretation shaped the Western view of Carthage as a cruel, barbaric enemy. But modern archaeology tells a different story. In this episode, we explore the controversy surrounding the Salomon Strogoff Stele and the cemetery at Salammbô. We look at how Jonathan Prag and other scholars have re-examined the ceramic urns and inscriptions, suggesting that many children died of natural causes and were buried in a dedicated nursery cemetery rather than slaughtered on an altar. We discuss the political motivation behind Roman accusations, the linguistic nuances of terms like 'mlkt', and the complex reality of Carthaginian religion versus Roman propaganda. Join us as we separate legend from evidence in one of antiquity’s most enduring controversies.
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